There’s an old cliche experiencing something of a revival in today’s political climate: “Every accusation is a confession.”

The more colloquial version we hear most often used is “the pot calling the kettle black.”

According to a report from Mississippi Today, Gov. Tate Reeves’ office confirmed the state intends to opt out of federal funding for a Summer EBT program that would provide qualifying families an extra $120 in EBT per eligible child during the three summer months when school is adjourned.

This makes Mississippi one of only 15 states to opt out, Mississippi Today reported. Among the states, territories and tribes opting in, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects to impact 21 million children.

Food insecurity is a problem that affects our local districts, where Starkville, Columbus and Lowndes districts all have more than 70% of their students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.

Reeves wants to opt out because the program “attempts to expand the welfare state.” This is a vile take on its own, but when you add other comments from the state’s Department of Human Services spokesperson Mark Jones, it looks even worse.

Jones said the state simply doesn’t have the resources to administer the program, both from a staffing and funding standpoint. That’s a very different reason than the politically motivated shot Reeves fired at the poor.

Reeves seemed fine with participating in a similar pandemic era program for which the federal government paid 100%. The new program expects states to pay half the costs, though. So now, all the sudden, $120 extra per year for a child to have a little bit more to eat will presumably lead said child to a life of unemployment, crime and God knows what else.

We can only imagine Reeves would prefer these children and their families to pull up their bootstraps and learn the true value of a hard day’s work and a well-earned meal.

We think Reeves should take his own advice. How are 35 other states prepared to take this on, while Mississippi has neither the infrastructure or resources to pull it off? That seems odd for a governor who has been doing quite a bit of chest thumping about the state’s economic success.

Collectively, it’s an alarming sign of lackluster management for which Reeves bears some responsibility.

In recent years, especially, “the poor” are blamed more and more in Mississippi simply for having the audacity to exist. Reeves has eagerly brandished his version of the “bootstraps” narrative that always so callously implies that poor people are poor because they did something wrong. In this case, however, that strategy was a clear effort to deflect from his administration’s own deficiencies.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.